Kerala—aptly nicknamed “God’s Own Country”—has lured traders, sailors, and storytellers for millennia. From Fort Kochi’s spice-scented lanes and Chinese fishing nets to Munnar’s emerald tea slopes and the slow-gliding backwaters, this is South India distilled into one evocative week.

Portuguese, Dutch, and British footprints still shape Kochi’s streets, synagogues, and churches, while Munnar’s cool highlands unfurl into tea gardens first planted in the 19th century. In between, palm-lined canals reveal everyday life: toddy tappers, coir makers, and rice barges moving as unhurried as the water itself.

Expect soulful cuisine—appam with stew, karimeen (pearl spot fish), Malabar biryani—and warm hospitality. Best months are October–March; monsoons (June–September) bring dramatic rains and lush scenery. Dress modestly at religious sites and book key experiences in advance during holiday seasons like Onam.

Kochi (Cochin)

Fort Kochi is Kerala’s storybook cover: Indo-Portuguese mansions, the 16th-century St. Francis Church, and those photogenic Chinese fishing nets silhouetted at sunset. Nearby, Mattancherry brims with spice warehouses, the Paradesi Synagogue, and antique shops.

Top sights pair well with craft and cuisine. Wander art cafés, catch a traditional Kathakali performance, and dine by the water at places famed for Syrian Christian seafood, coconut-rich curries, and flaky porottas.

• Stay: Browse stays near Fort Kochi or on Willingdon Island via VRBO (Kochi) and Hotels.com (Kochi).
• Getting in: Fly into Cochin International Airport (COK). Search fares on Trip.com Flights or Kiwi.com. Trains arrive at Ernakulam Jn; check Trip.com Trains.
• Food & drink highlights: Kashi Art Café (excellent cold coffee, salads, and art), Qissa Café (all-day breakfast; shakshuka and pancakes), Teapot Café (tea tastings and cake), Fusion Bay (family-run seafood; try the prawn mango curry), Malabar Junction (heritage courtyard; contemporary Kerala plates), Fort House Restaurant (waterfront; karimeen pollichathu). For a classic sundowner, try The Armoury Bar (Brunton Boatyard) or The Bar at Taj Malabar.

Munnar

Munnar’s cool air, winding roads, and rolling tea estates make it Kerala’s beloved hill station. Sunrise breaks over a sea of green, while shola forests shelter the sure-footed Nilgiri tahr in Eravikulam National Park.

Spend your days sipping estate-fresh teas, tracing ridgelines to Top Station, and chasing waterfalls like Attukad. Evenings are for peppery chicken fry, hot parottas, and steaming chai with cardamom.

• Stay: Look for valley-view resorts or tea bungalows via VRBO (Munnar) and Hotels.com (Munnar).
• Dining to try: Saravana Bhavan (veg thali, ghee dosa), Rapsy (Kerala meals, Arabian grills), EastEnd Restaurant (multi-cuisine; convenient in-town), Tea Tales Café (cakes and estate teas). Ask for “kanthari” (bird’s eye chili) fish if you like heat.
• Getting there from Kochi: Private car/taxi 4–5 hours (INR 4,500–6,500), or KSRTC bus ~5–6 hours (budget-friendly). There’s no train to Munnar. If you’re combining with other Indian cities, compare flights to/from Kochi on Trip.com or Kiwi.com.

Day 1: Arrive in Kochi, Fort Kochi Sunset, and Kathakali

Morning: Travel day. Book flights to COK via Trip.com or Kiwi.com. If arriving by rail, target Ernakulam Jn via Trip.com Trains.

Afternoon: Check into your Fort Kochi stay (Hotels.com / VRBO) and stroll the waterfront. Watch fishermen operate the iconic Chinese nets and pop into Kashi Art Café for a late lunch (try the tuna sandwich and lime soda).

Evening: Experience Kerala’s famed dance-drama with a live show:

Kathakali Classical Dance Performance

Arrive early to see the elaborate makeup ritual. Dinner afterward at Fusion Bay—order the prawn mango curry with appam—and a quiet drink at The Armoury Bar.

Day 2: Fort Kochi & Mattancherry Heritage, Synagogue, and Spices

Morning: Join a local for the best introduction to Old Kochi’s layered past:

Kochi Tour Guide – A Heritage walking tour in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry

See St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, and the Paradesi Synagogue while hearing tales of spice merchants and explorers.

Afternoon: Linger in Jew Town’s antique shops and spice markets—sniff cinnamon, cardamom, and peppercorns that made the Malabar Coast famous. Lunch at Fort House Restaurant on the water; try karimeen pollichathu (pearl spot fish wrapped and grilled in banana leaf).

Evening: Sunset along the beach promenade, then dinner at Malabar Junction’s leafy courtyard. Nightcap at The Bar (Taj Malabar) with a view of the harbor lights.

Day 3: Alleppey Backwaters—Private Houseboat Day Cruise

Morning: Early pickup from Kochi for a leisurely houseboat cruise through Alleppey’s canals (about 1.5–2 hours’ drive each way). Board your kettuvallam (traditional rice barge) and settle into a shaded deck as the waterways open to paddy fields and coconut groves.

Private Kerala Backwaters Houseboat Cruise with Lunch from Kochi

Afternoon: Feast on a home-style Kerala lunch—red rice, vegetable thoran, sambar, and fried fish—while village life drifts by: toddy shops, duck herders, and coir rope makers. Pause for a short village walk if offered.

Evening: Return to Kochi. Dinner at The Rice Boat (seafood specialties; ask for the meen moilee) or keep it casual with kappa (tapioca) and beef fry at a local eatery in Ernakulam. Rest up for the hills.

Day 4: Travel to Munnar, Tea Museum, and Viewpoints

Morning: Depart Kochi for Munnar by private car (4–5 hours; INR 4,500–6,500). The road climbs through rubber and spice plantations into cool tea country—ask your driver for a brief stop at Cheeyappara or Valara waterfalls en route.

Afternoon: Check in (Hotels.com Munnar / VRBO Munnar), then visit the KDHP/Tata Tea Museum to trace how tea shaped Munnar’s landscape—end with a tasting of robust local brews.

Evening: Golden-hour drive to Pothamedu or Lockhart viewpoints for sweeping valley scenes. Dinner at Rapsy (try their Kerala meals or Arabian grills) or Saravana Bhavan for a crisp paper dosa with chutneys.

Day 5: Eravikulam National Park, Top Station, and Lakes

Morning: Early entry to Eravikulam National Park (closed for Nilgiri tahr calving for several weeks around Feb–Mar; check locally). Short shuttle and walk to Rajamalai for grand views and a good chance of spotting the endemic tahr.

Afternoon: Head toward Top Station for panoramic vistas over the Western Ghats; stop at Echo Point and Kundala Lake (opt for a gentle shikara ride). Lunch at a roadside thattukada (food stall) for hot parottas with pepper chicken or veg kurma.

Evening: Tea tasting back at your resort or at Tea Tales Café with cake. If skies are clear, stargazing is lovely from hilltop properties. Dinner in-house or at EastEnd’s multi-cuisine restaurant.

Day 6: Anakulam Wild Elephant Village (Full-Day Jeep Tour)

Venture deeper into the hills to a forest-fringed hamlet where herds sometimes descend to the river at dusk. This guided jeep excursion threads mountain roads and village lanes—photographers love the light and textures of rural life.

Anakulam Wild Elephant Village life tour (By Munnar Info)

Pack layers and a light rain jacket—mountain weather shifts quickly. Return to Munnar for a hearty dinner: try hot kappa and spicy beef fry (or mushroom roast for veg) at a local restaurant.

Day 7: Scenic Descent to Kochi and Departure

Morning: Drive from Munnar back to Kochi (4–5 hours). If time allows, stop for cardamom, tea, and pepper at an estate outlet on the way; vacuum-packed spices make great souvenirs.

Afternoon: Early lunch in Kochi—Qissa Café for shakshuka and cold coffee, or Fusion Bay for a last seafood fix—then head to COK for your flight. Check options on Trip.com or Kiwi.com.

Evening: If you’re on a late flight, browse Fort Kochi’s boutiques for handloom, coir, and ayurvedic essentials. Celebrate a week well spent with sunset by the fishing nets.

Optional Add-Ons from Kochi (time permitting)

Waterfall chasers can slot this on Day 2 or 7 if you have a spare day:

Athirappilly & Vazhachal Waterfalls Private Day Tour from Kochi

Where to Book and How to Get Around

• Flights: Compare fares to/from Kochi on Trip.com and Kiwi.com. Domestic hops from Delhi/Mumbai/Bengaluru typically run 1–3.5 hours.
• Trains: Long-distance trains to Ernakulam reduce costs and carbon; browse Trip.com Trains. Note: there is no train to Munnar; continue by road.
• Road transfers: Private sedan or SUV between Kochi–Munnar runs ~4–5 hours each way (budget INR 4,500–6,500). Buses (KSRTC) are economical but slower (5–6 hours).
• Stays: Reserve Fort Kochi heritage hotels early in peak season. Search broad inventory on Hotels.com (Kochi), VRBO (Kochi), Hotels.com (Munnar), and VRBO (Munnar).

More Great Tours You Could Swap In

• Half Day Village Backwater Eco Country Boat Cruise: Group Tour from Fort Kochi (traditional non-motorized boat through quiet canals)
• Adventure Tuk Tuk Tour in Kochi – Private Guided (zip between markets and monuments with a local “auto” pro)

In a single, memorable week, this Kerala itinerary marries culture, cuisine, and countryside: Fort Kochi’s heritage, a languid Alleppey houseboat lunch, and Munnar’s jade-green highlands. You’ll leave with spice in your bag, tea in your suitcase, and the rhythm of the backwaters in your head.